Could you pass the U.S. Citizenship quiz?

Tuesday

Jul 3, 2012 at 5:18 PM

The Fourth of July is a time for Americans to stop and appreciate our democracy.

The Fourth of July is a time for Americans to stop and appreciate our democracy. In between the fireworks, barbecues and splashes in the pool, we're supposed to pause to remember the sacrifices many have made to create that democracy — and publicly display our pride in it.But how much do we actually know about the country of which we are so proud? In a March survey by Xavier University's Center for the American Dream, 35 percent, or more than a third of Americans surveyed, couldn't pass the citizenship test immigrants must take to be naturalized. To pass the test, a potential citizen needs to answer six out of 10 questions on civics, government, and American history. If the standards were raised to seven out of 10 questions — a “C” grade on most school tests — half of all Americans would fail.Only 6 percent of those surveyed were able to answer all of the questions correctly. Those who are actually taking the test fare much better — 97.5 percent of those applying for citizenship pass the test. This Independence Day, we've put together a sample test of actual questions provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How would you do?

1.) What does the judicial branch do? A.) Resolves disputesB.) Decides if a law goes against the ConstitutionC.) Review lawsD.) All of these answers

2.) When must all men register for the Selective Service?A.) At any ageB.) Between 18 and 26C.) At age 16D.) Men do not have to register

3.) The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.A.) John AdamsB.) George WashingtonC.) James MadisonD.) Thomas Jefferson

4.) Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government? A.) To provide schoolingB.) To provide police departmentsC.) To make treatiesD.) To issue driver's licenses

5.) Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900sA.) Civil WarB.) Revolutionary WarC.) World War ID.) War of 1812

6.) What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? A.) Hilary ClintonB.) Barack ObamaC.) Joe BidenD.) John Boehner

7.) What is the supreme law of the land?A.) The ConstitutionB.) The Emancipation ProclamationC.) The Declaration of Independence D.) The Articles of Confederation

8.) How many justices are on the Supreme Court? A.) 9B.) 10C.) 11D.) 12

9.) What are two Cabinet-level positions? A.) Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of the TreasuryB.) Secretary of Health and Human Services and Secretary of the NavyC.) Secretary of Weather and Secretary of EnergyD.) Secretary of the Interior and Secretary

10.) Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?A.) The Vice PresidentB.) The Secretary of DefenseC.) The PresidentD.) The Attorney General